1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetically driven flywheel or wheel and, more particularly, the invention features a flywheel equipped with rings of permanent magnets adapted to interact with external, DC, capacitive discharge powered electromagnets to rotate the flywheel. Energy recovery is by the inertia of the flywheel propelling alternators used to generate electrical power to recharge a battery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A magnetic wheel drive is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,633 for MAGNETIC WHEEL DRIVE; issued to Donald A. Kelly on Dec. 18, 1979. Kelly teaches a wheel having a series of permanent magnets radially disposed along its circumference. These permanent magnets are arranged to interact with a series of pairs of permanent magnets placed on oscillating, toggle bars powered by an external motive force. The “flipping” of the toggle bars alternately place the north and south poles of the magnet couples in close proximity to the permanent magnets on the wheel. By synchronizing the toggling of the fixed magnets, alternate north and south poles attract oncoming, rotating wheel magnets. By controlling the speed of the toggling, the rotational speed of the wheel may be controlled.
In contradistinction, the radial/rotary propulsion system of the instant invention requires no external, toggling of permanent magnet couples. Unlike KELLY, the inventive radial rotary propulsion system uses DC energized electromagnets in a repulsion only modality. The inventive apparatus uses permanent magnets on a flywheel in rings of varying diameters which, in turn, interact with selectively with the DC, capacitive discharge powered electromagnets on one or both sides of the rotating flywheel. The use of concentric rings of permanent magnets helps simplify the speed control of the device and allows more efficient operation over a range of torque requirements. In addition, when the flywheel is not being powered, the inertia of the flywheel allows generation of electrical power which may be used to recharge the battery normally used to power the electromagnets. This helps to re-energize the system so that it can be used for vehicle propulsion or in other similar applications, while decreasing the total drain from the battery system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,191 for DRIVING ASSEMBLY FOR MOTOR WHEELS; issued Feb. 4, 1997 to Chen-Chi Yang, teaches another apparatus for magnetically imparting rotary motion to a wheel. Yang also uses permanent magnets radially arranged at the circumference of a stator (wheel) to interact with external electromagnet coils. A clutch mechanism is provided to selectively couple the rotary motion to an axle. The present invention, on the other hand, utilizes permanent magnets embedded in, or mounted on one or both faces of a flywheel and arranged in concentric rings of varying diameters which, in turn, interact with selectively energizable electromagnets, also arranged in concentric rings so as to interact with corresponding rings of permanent magnets on the flywheel. In the inventive radial/rotary propulsion system, magnetic interaction between the permanent and the electromagnets is always repulsive, unlike YANG who relies upon an arrangement of north-south poles to provide a attraction/repulsion mode of operation. Regenerative elements allow recapture of inertial energy of the flywheel for the purpose of recharging a battery.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,719,458 for POWER GENERATOR WITH IMPROVED ROTOR; issued Feb. 17, 1998 to Teruo Kawal, another apparatus for imparting rotary motion to a wheel is described. KAWAL utilizes an AC current, preferably three-phase AC, to energize electromagnets to create an alternating magnetic field which interacts with semicircular pole pieces on the perimeter of the wheel. Unlike Applicant's nonmagnetic wheel, the KAWAL wheel is itself, a relatively complex magnetic structure. The KAWAL system relies upon an alternating north-south pole arrangement to implement an attraction/repulsion mode of operation. The present invention, on the other hand, utilizes a DC, capacitive discharge system to selectively energize the electromagnets which interact with concentric circles of permanent magnets, all having the same polarity within any given magnet ring, the inventive system operating in a repulsion only mode. Also, unlike the KAWAL pole pieces, the permanent magnets of the instant invention need have no special physical shape (i.e., they need not be semicircular, etc.).
While in each one of these prior art inventions, apparatus for imparting rotary motion to a wheel through the interaction of permanent magnets with a magnetic field from electromagnets is described, none of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed